Site selection and carrying capacity in Mediterranean ... - FAO Sipam

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production (Goulding et. al. 2000). At the same time, the proliferation of aquaculture installations, in
particular in coastal areas has brought the sector into competition with a range of other stakeholders
and subjects it to a range of environmental pressures (FAO 2007).
The three dimensions of economic bottlenecks considered in this section are financial, economic and
environmental (see Box 1). Together, they capture the linkages among production, markets,
governance and spillovers (externalities) that affect the welfare of aquaculture and other coastal zone
stakeholders. Many of the bottlenecks can be measured by market prices and their effects are seen in
indicators of financial performance such as sales and profits. Others, especially environmental
spillovers can only be measured using non-market and quasi-market valuation techniques such as the
contingent valuation method, choice experiments and hedonic methods 16 . Notwithstanding the absence
of conventional market prices for many ecosystem services, they make considerable contributions to
human welfare (Becker and Horesh 2006; OECD 2001; Pearce and Turner, 1990). For example, many
of the conservation priorities that guide the management of marine protected areas have an implicit
economic dimension. Two of the many services provided by seagrass Posidonia oceanica meadows
are the prevention of coastal erosion and enhancement of biodiversity. If seagrass meadows are
damaged by aquaculture, or for that matter by other activities, these two services may be jeoporadised.
The first can be measured in terms of monetary losses (e.g. business incomes and property values).
Measurement of the second must include consideration of non-market sources of welfare, such as the
intrinsic value that people hold for maintaining local biodiversity.
7.1 Bottlenecks related to site selection and licensing
Aquaculture planning, site selection and licensing are interdependent and critical to the performance of
individual fish farms and the aquaculture sector as a whole. Serious bottlenecks exist in many parts of
the Mediterranean region because planning and site selection provisions are unclear and lead to
numerous difficulties in the licensing process. Although recently, several countries have moved
towards implementing comprehensive, consistent national aquaculture policies, they remain the
exception rather than the rule and the sector is subject to a patchwork of laws and regulation under
different jurisdictions. In many cases, dialogue and communication between the various relevant
authorities is lacking. In most Mediterranean countries, multiple government ministries (e.g.:
environment, fisheries, natural resources, agriculture, etc.) at different levels (e.g.: national and local)
play a role in site selection and licensing, but only in exceptional cases are there explicit provisions for
coordinating activities among these (FAO 2005). The result is that the process of obtaining or
renewing an operating license can be lengthy, expensive and fraught with uncertainty (see review on
licensing in FAO 2009).
For example, in Turkey, aquaculture comes under the jurisdiction of eleven national ministries ranging
from Agriculture and Rural Affairs to Health; two national agencies (Department of Water Works and
Treasury) and local authorities ( Christofilogiannis 2001). Following conflicts between the tourist and
aquaculture sectors in the Akbuk and Gulluk Gulfs, new site selection criteria were put in place
requiring the removal of coastal farms to offshore sites (see Chapter 6 of this document for further
details). The costs of relocation were beyond the capabilities of most small and medium sized farms
and, as of May 2009, a total of 149 farms had been removed and/or relocated. The implications of this
for Turkish aquaculture prompted the organization of a project to map a path forward for the sector
(Okumus et. al. 2008; White et. al. 2008).
fisheries rises and demand outstrips supply forcing up the market price of fish. The higher price justifies investment in
aquaculture and there is a proliferation as enterprises are attracted by potential profits.
16 For readers interested in a comprehensive review of environmental valuation techniques and studies can refer to The Environmental
Valuation and Cost Benefit Website (www.costbenefitanalysis.org) and the NOAA Coastal Services Center, Coastal Ecosystem
Restoration webpage (www.csc.noaa.gov/coastal /economics/envvaluation.htm).
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